Welcome CoCo's new babies!

Well we try to plan these things but nature knows best.  After watching CoCo closely for two weeks without babies I decided to give her a rest - we adults just didn't figure out the right daddy or the right due date.  But Wednesday when I arrived home from work there were two new kids JUST born.  After just a day and a half they are out exploring the barnyard

new family

Eloise

Maverick

Sweet and sour pickled onions

Pickled onions on a burger

What is summer without pickles?  And why not pickled onions?

I have made pickled onions before but this is a recipe that beats the first one.  They are ready in the fridge after 48 hours or you can go through the canning process and keep them in the pantry until needed.  I started with a recipe from a book I love called   Food in Jars  Then I made it my own

mise en place

Recipe: 

2 cups apple cider vinegar

3/4 cups sugar

2 TBS pickling salt

3 pounds red onions, thinly sliced

2 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp ancho chili powder ( red pepper flakes or cayenne)

3 sprigs lavender

Combine the vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar and the salt in a pot over high heat and bring the brine to a boil. 

Add the sliced onions to brine and stir to combine.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer briefly to soften onions.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining spices in  a small bowl and stir to blend.  Add the spice blend and the lavender sprigs in to sterilized jars,

Using tongs, evenly divide the onions among 3 pint jars.  Pour hot brine into each jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Continue typical canning directions or place in fridge for 48 hours.

Canning directions:

Sterilize glass jars and rims and flat lids for 10 minutes in boiling water.  Be careful not to touch the jars or rims with bare hands.  After filling jars and leaving headspace gently tap the jars on a towel lined counter top to help loosen any bubbles before using a wooden chopstick or utensil to dislodge any remaining bubbles.  Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.  Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes

Let these pickles cure for at least 48 hours before eating

Channel Islands, Santa Cruz Island day trip- National Park #2

My childhood friend Dee and I have decided to visit a National Park each year.  Last year we discovered Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. This year we decided to visit a National Park unspoiled by hotels, snack shops and flushing toilets: The Channel Islands off the coast of California.  My cousin, Laurie, joined us. There are four islands in the chain that are part of the National Parks.  With the storms of Winter only 2 are reachable so we took a chance on Santa Cruz Island.  If you're lucky you can see this island on your way North on Hwy 101 from Ventura.  It's the island that Cabrillo had to navigate around to find the mainland and settle in Santa Barbara for you Californians who studied our history in 4th grade.  Our destination Scorpion Bay - 25 miles off the coast.

Boats docked in Scorpion Bay harbor

On to the skiff

The pier was out so we were forced to do a beach landing by skiff.

And off of the skiff.  Harder than it looks

hike up the trail

But when we reach the top:

There are a few species on this island that evolved away from any influence.  The island fox is adorable.  With no predators there is nothing to fear.  These guys are almost a little too friendly.  They behave somewhat like a little dog and a little like a cat.

Island fox

And the tiniest of bugs and lizards:

Golden lizard

Yes and all three of us sexagenarians survived the island too

Thanks for a fun day Dee and Laurie

Watermelon ginger limeade- Ahh! refreshing on a 95 degree day

It's hot today!  So watermelon limeade  should hit the spot.  I was tempted by this recipe in last month's Epicurious by Emeril Lagasse http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/watermelon-limeade?mbid=nl_fig_010_07072016_Daily&CNDID=43579668  and then had some new ideas.

Mis en place

Recipe:

1quart watermelon juice  (1 small watermelon- made about 1 .5 quarts of watermelon juice)

1 cup lime juice

1/2 inch grated ginger

Agave nectar- to taste

lime slices

crystallized ginger pieces

sparkling water

tequila for later in the day

Cut watermelon into about 1 inch squares and place in blender a batch at a time. Use fine mesh strainer over a bowl to separate the pulp.  Grate about a half inch of a piece of ginger.  Add the lime juice and the ginger to the watermelon juice and stir.  Add the Agave nectar (or sugar) to taste.  I used less than 1/4 cup for the whole batch.  Choose a glass; add ice and rub the rim with a lime slice.  Then rub the rim a second time with the crystallized ginger.  Pour the limeade into the glass.  Add sparkling water for daytime or a shot of tequila at 5 o'clock!

Twinsies

Coco and Sunflower went "home" to Caramel Apple Farm for a stay while I'm off on vacation.  CoCo and her Mom, Blueberry usually come right together to say hello but this time there was a new baby there to greet my girls.  "Clementine" is Blueberry's new kid this year so CoCo has a new sister.  And don't they look alike?  Their color is officially "red" and not very common.  Clementine has blue eyes and Coco's are golden brown but other than that they are pretty much twinsies!!  CoCo's babies are due in 4 weeks.  Stand by for more goat baby pictures.  None for Sunny this year.  She gets the year off.

Clementine and CoCo

A trip on the light rail

Friday on Earth Day the light rail line from Union Station in downtown Denver to the Denver International Airport opened for travel.  In celebration and orientation all rides were free!!!  Who doesn't love that???  So Kate and I made an adventure of it:  We caught the train at our closest station; rode to the airport; toured the station there and the new fabulous Westin hotel; then rode straight back to Union Station and explored the ice cream shop and the Tattered Cover bookstore.  We had a day of it and lots of fun.

ready to catch the train

arrived at DIA

under on of the peaks

Westin hotel with reflection of terminal peaks

selfie at the hotel

Yes there were crowds!!!

Arrived at Union Station

time for some ice cream

and a good read


On the way home I asked Kate if she thought there would every be a time when we didn't enjoy doing things like this together.  "That would be never"

Cauliflower "rice"

Cauliflower rice pilaf

mise en place


Ingredients:
Cauliflower head
spring onions
olive oil
herbs: parsley and thyme

cut cauliflower into smaller florets

then into the food processor until the size of rice

In a frypan place about 3 Tbs olive oil

Saute the sliced onions until translucent

Then add the "rice and cook about 5 minutes

Add the herbs- I used parsley and thyme

Oh and I threw in some pine nuts for some extra flavor and crunch

Try a purple cauliflower with extra antioxidant: anthocyanin

or some broccoli Romanesco
now these are pretty vegetables!